Big/Lil Sis event(s)

[TechAPhi]

Okay, since it has gotten a bit too quiet in here, I thought I would start a thread. In addition to being an interesting topic, we might be able to give each other some ideas. So...

What do (did) you do for your Big/Lil Sis program? Was it semester-long? Just a week? How do (did) Big/Lil sisses get revealed? Does your chapter have a clever name for the revealing? How do Big/Lil Sisses get assigned?

I'll add mine in a minute.

Geneen

[SATX*APhi]

Well, this is how we did it when I joined Fall of '01:

For the first three weeks after becoming a "new member," we had Bear Buddy week. Each week we had a different "Bear Buddy" who would give us a little gift, take us out, get to know us, in order for us to get to know more of the sisters so that we could chose a big sis. After those three weeks each NM turned in a list of the 3 actives that they wanted to have as their big sis. Each active turned in a list of who they wanted as their little sis. It is pretty much up to the NM's of who their big sis is. If nobody else puts their # 1 choice, they get their # 1 choice as their big sis. If more than one girl puts the same active as their # 1 choice, then they go to the list turned in by the active and match them up that way.

After each NM has a big sis, there is a week called "Discovery Week." Each day of that week there is a theme such as frames, A-Phi Day, etc. The Big Sis's give their littles gifts every day that week. The following week, on Monday, we have a Big Sis Discovery ceremony where the NM's find out who their big sisters are. So, all in all, including Bear Buddy weeks, the whole process of being assigned a big sis is 4 weeks long.

[oceanphi01]

I got a little sister this semester!

Anyway, three weeks before initiation this year (in years past our initation has been later in the semester so this hasn't been the case) the new members and the sisters choose their top three choices and the NM Educator uses a point system to give everyone their choice. The big sisters have a week to get all of their stuff together. Two weeks before initiation we had Revealing Week where each day our little sister got a clue as to who we were, along with a gift that serves as a clue as well. That Friday they find out who we are. Then the next week was I-Week and Initiation!

[astroAPhi]

Hi oceanphi

The way our chapter used to do it was pretty similar to the way oceanphi just explained. We just changed it this semester.

Basically, the point system is something new. We used to just do it that everyone put in their top 3 choices for bigs and littles and that the NM Educator tried to match it up as best as possible. I'm not a big fan of the new point system because I think that the new girls should have the advantage. In a small chapter, it's easy to figure out who you fit in well with and who you look up to as a role model. I know I would have been absolutely heart-broken if I hadn't had my first choice for big sister. My second choice would have been our NM Educator, and we know that that's not supposed to happen.

My big sister really emphasized how special the big/little sister bond is, which is why I think this way. I want the girl to really want me for her big sis, so that she doesn't feel like she was just assigned some random girl.

[DRau]

I always loved the way that we did revealing.... The big sis's came to the house about an hour before revealing with a ball (or two if you really wanted to make it tough) of yarn, and a gift for the new little sis. The gift was tied to the end of the string and left at the front door, and then then the big sis made a trail of yarn through the entire house, up and down the stairs, in the parking lot around the cars, across the street... you get the idea. When the little sis finally got to the end of the yarn it was tied to the big sis, who was waiting somewhere in the house.

One of my fav. Alpha Phi memories was finding out who my big sis was that night!

[SATX*APhi]

Delia, that sounds very cute! I wish we had a house.